Monday, October 21, 2013

Links

Is it possible to make GOP lawmakers pay a political price for throwing in with the climate science deniers? The League of Conservation Voters is engaged in an interesting experiment designed to answer that question, running ads targeting GOP Senator Ron Johnson and a handful of House GOP lawmakers over their climate denialism.

But while the conference focused on fighting big energy companies, the gathering of committed activists illustrated the struggles of getting Americans to change basic habits in service of the environment. Paper coffee cups were tossed into canisters designated for bottles and cans, and in a women’s bathroom next to the main auditorium, paper towels spilled out of the trash can and onto the floor, even though the dispenser was right next to a high-speed air dryer.

Some were trying to force basic changes, however. A line of vending machines selling bottled water and other drinks all had signs, written in marker, labeling them out of order, sometimes with a frowny-face. A parched and skeptical reporter was relieved to find that, on the contrary, the machines worked just fine.